Danny (26) from Spijkenisse makes his grandfather's dream come true and launches his own Baron Spiced Rum

Grandfather Wil Coppenrath (now 85) from Hellevoetsluis used to work as a rower in the Rotterdam harbour and was called one evening, when he was already home, to secure one more boat. "My grandfather got a carafe of rum from that captain," says Danny. "That same evening he tasted it. It was delicious."

The next day, his grandfather went looking for that captain, because he wanted more of it. However, the ship had already left. "And grandpa had no idea where the rum came from." In the years that followed, grandpa Coppenrath became a real rum lover, who regularly visited rum tastings. However, he never found a rum that even came close to that of the captain.

Until he stopped by Danny's barbershop two and a half years ago. "He had brought a rum from Spain, which reminded him a bit of the captain's rum." They had a drink, had a good conversation and that's how Danny found out that his grandfather wanted to achieve one more thing in his life: improve that rum and bring it to market in a beautiful bottle.

Now that moment has arrived. Together with partners Robbert de Vos and Dennis de Man, also from Spijkenisse, Danny has been busy developing this rum for the past two and a half years. They found a good partner in the famous distillery Herman Jansen from Schiedam.

The end result is Baron Spiced Rum, a blend of rums from the Dominican Republic, Guyana and Barbados mixed with five spices: one from each continent. "When my grandfather tasted it for the first time, he said: 'This is the rum I used to taste.'" It is a high-quality rum with such a unique taste that, according to the makers, you won't find it anywhere else in the Netherlands. "The taste is very sharp at first, but has a sweet aftertaste."

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Grandpa was involved in the whole process. He wanted a more expensive, luxurious bottle with a glass cap. And he came up with the label, which shows a mountain with a road leading up. There is a light at the bottom of the bottle. "If you turn it on, the road to the top is lit."

It is not for nothing that the slogan is: the sweet taste of success . The men want to radiate something with the drink: "It is a rum to celebrate your successes and that calls you to pursue your goals. That could be getting your driver's license, finishing an education." Danny emphasizes that he certainly does not want to make people 'drink'. "We like to have a glass ourselves when we have worked hard for a week. We put our phones away, go through the week and talk about our goals."

The name Baron also comes from his grandfather. "He told me that my great-grandfather was a baron. I asked: 'What is a baron then, grandpa?' He explained to me that the man was very successful. That's when I knew our name."

A 70-centiliter bottle of Baron Spiced Rum costs 37.50 euros and will be available from Friday, November 13, via baronrum.com and at liquor stores in Spijkenisse and the surrounding area. In the future, you will also be able to order Baron at bars. "We are doing everything we can to make Baron internationally big. For my grandfather. He said: 'That I can still experience this at the age of 85 is a dream.'"